Claws and Bite Marks
by hg-HollowGirl
Summary: Railey is being brought to her rouge father's childhood home, unaware of what life has in store for her. All she knows is that she isn't entirely a shapeshift, something in her blood mixing with the genetics from her father. She leaves a trail of hate behind her, and La Push is looking to be added to that list.
1. Chapter 1

Railey grabbed the jar of peanut butter off the shelf, looking down at the list in her other hand and mentally crossing it off. She had eggs and milk to get then she could get out of here. Grocery shopping, let alone in a small local shop, was not her thing. But her father was demanding more responsibility, so she complied.

The store was practically empty. The low melodic music, all 80's pop, was the only other sound, save for the soft beep of the register when a customer did approach the counter. She enjoyed the silence, the hum of the real world carrying on around her therapeutic. There was something nice to be said about small towns.

As she turned down the frozen good's isle the cold air smacked into her legs, sending a chill up her spine. She was in shorts and a t-shirt, the outside world a good 90 degrees and climbing. In the lovely state of Washington however the air was thick, making that 90 even worse. But the heat was her friend as she found she was always cold.

She eyed up the packaged home slaughtered meats before moving on and grabbing a carton of eggs. Checking them to make sure none were cracked, she took pause as she saw beyond her eggs a half-naked boy.

He had on shorts. His bare feet sat firmly on the ground, lean muscular legs leading to muscular thighs. His waist was thin, a six-pack and then some etched into his russet skin beautifully. His arms were lazily crossed over one another in front of him, hiding a broad chest, as he eyed up the cartons of milk.

She didn't know what to do.

She stared too long. His ears seemed to twitch as he turned in her direction, giving her a soft and inviting smile. Maybe if he was properly clothed she'd return it but she was too shocked.

"Am I in the way?" His voice was deep; expected in an unexpected way. She hesitated, a foot behind her as she thought about making a run for it. How crazy that would be; running out of the store without a single word because a local was barely dressed in front of the freezer's.

But he wasn't a regular local, and she knew that.

And she wasn't a regular additional customer.

"Yes." She curtly nodded, deciding it best to get her things and get out. He took a few steps back from the milk and allowed for her to grab a carton. She didn't give him another glance before putting a little kick in her step towards the checkout counter.

"Paper or plastic?" The cashier's drawl was annoying and exhausted, the little old lady in front of her looking up, seemingly startled. Railey stood there, complacent, watching as the girl had to repeat herself for the lady who was hard of hearing. The older woman fumbled with her purse, two hand-crocheted bags in her shaking hands. She was trying to hand them over but was becoming overburdened.

"Let me help you there, getting all tangled are we?" Railey stepped forward, taking the purse from the older woman and sitting it down on the counter. The lady thanked her, handing over her bags and shakily taking back her purse.

As Railey picked up the now two full grocery bags and placed them in the cart for the woman the smell hit her full force. The smell of wet dirt at two in the morning, a fresh layer of dew on the grass, trees swaying and dropping drips in the wind. She could feel the ache deep inside her bones just from the smell, a peevish reaction she was accustom to. Her spin tingles, she felt the flutter in her heart as the air got caught in her lungs.

"Thank you girlie, Herb will get them in the car." The old warm hand on her arm, wrinkles threatening to eat her skin, was there and gone in a flash as the woman pushed her cart out the front door.

Standing in line, now behind Railey, was the boy from the frozen foods isle, three friends with him; all in the same attire.

Maybe this was customary for the locals.

She wanted to scream that she knew what they were. She could feel it; their power. It didn't take a genius to realize they set themselves apart not because they wanted to but because they were made to. Their russet skin, dark hair, and dark eyes were territorial and demanding. They embraced the world in every inch of their flesh and she could feel the tremor of terror shoot through her at the idea of them changing.

They were full bred, that she was sure of. Cream of the crop.

"Plastic bags please." Her voice warbled as she spoke.

The cashier nodded, scanning each item so painfully slow before dropping them in the bags. Railey tried to will her to move faster, her resolve leaving her. She wanted to tear her skin off and run; run like she had never wanted to before.

"Never seen you here before." It was one of the friends, the tallest of the four. He was in the far back on the right, fiddling with magazines when she had looked at him earlier; he was watching her now.

"Don't shop here much." She didn't want to look at them. They couldn't feel what was inside her like she could feel what was inside them. It was one of those traits she liked about herself; one of the few.

The cashier told Railey her total and she handed over cash, waiting patiently for her change.

"You must be new to the town then." Railey glanced over, looking at the speaker. He had over shadowed the boy she had seen earlier, standing in the middle of all of them. His arms were crossed in front of him, his eyes not welcoming what so ever. He was the pack leader.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we know everyone around here." He was condescending on his reply, bitter in his tone. She wouldn't retaliate. Last thing she needed was a pack leader to be angry with her.

"New, yes." Railey took her change, thanking the cashier. She gathered her bags, spotting an application at the end of the counter. Picking it up and stuffing it into one of the bags as well Railey hurried herself out of the store. She could feel the eyes on her skin as she stepped into the sweltering heat once again. She'd kill for that frozen goods isle just one last time.

Her jeep was right there, waiting for her to climb in. She didn't put on her seat belt, just tossed the bags into the back seat and put it in reverse. As she popped it back into first gear the grocery store door opened and the pack stepped out.

She was gone, but didn't miss the grins on their faces.

Her father had insisted on moving back. He had lived in La Push over forty years ago, back when he was a kid. He had told her he wanted to rekindle his youth and put some things in the past. She didn't protest. She was the reason they moved around so much so letting him pick the places was just part of the deal. She couldn't be picky when she was so detrimental.

Her father was a full-bred shape shifter. That much she was certain of. He had told her when she was young; bestowing on her the fun of late night runs while riding on his back in the trees. That was when they lived in Rhode Island. The winters had been bitter and cold there; snow. She didn't like snow.

They had lived in Canada as well, South Dakota, Indiana, New York, Texas, California and a few other states.

Railey had a problem with authority. She had a problem with finding out things when she wasn't supposed to and she had a serious problem with being a mixed breed of two things she wasn't completely sure of. Obviously what her father was, but there was something else there. It lived under her skin and put a damper on the fun of shifting into a full-blown dog. She didn't have the luxury.

She'd been called every name in the book and every time when the local pack found out she had to move. The oddity of something so beautiful and foreign, being just as judgmental s the regular human race, fazed her every time she thought on it.

Her dad was sitting outside when she pulled up, lacing up his shoes. He stood up as she approached, holding open the door and standing back. She placed the groceries down on the counter in a huff, giving him a death glare. The little house they were standing in was back in the woods, a section of land her great great great great grandfather owned. She had never been here before until now though.

"Shopping couldn't have been that bad." Her dad always found humor in situations that involved her. When he needed to be serious, he was, but the majority of the time the man was grinning from ear to ear, taking each day as a learning lesson.

"You said La Push was well known for its shape shifters, so tell me again why we're here?"

"I told you. I have some things to settle." He helped with removing the groceries, balling up the plastic bags and stuffing them away in a bag sack. He studied her, watching as she frantically put things away, anger and annoyance in every move. "Why?"

"Because I ran into some young ones." The topic was closed. They finished putting the groceries away and wordlessly left the house. He locked up behind her before climbing into the jeep passenger side and buckling himself in. Railey backed out of the driveway and headed back the way she had come, passing the grocery store on the left not fifteen minutes later.

Her father was a strong man, both in silence and everyday life. He remained to be one of her finer hero's because of his resistance to all things bad. She let slip her ability to block the guilt as the wind whipped past them. She was becoming more and more conscious of the way she treated him.

"I'm sorry." The words came out before she could stop them. Her dad's face turned into a giant grin as he laughed, reaching out and fussing with her hair. He shook his head, sunglasses covering his steel gray eyes.

"Wouldn't be my daughter if you didn't have an attitude problem." The silence that gathered then was pleasant. Railey pulled off at the diner, parking up by the door and jumping out. Her father followed, getting the door for her as they slipped into the dinner service hustle and bustle.

They took a smaller table near the window, the sun setting off in the distance. Railey was starving, her stomach growling deeply. She blushed modestly, taking a menu and ordering herself a glass of water. She scanned the foods, spotting the cheeseburger instantly. Shadows dancing around outside as it started to rain caught her attention. They darted towards the front door and as if to put a damper on her evening two of the four boys from earlier stepped through the front door; soaked but clothed.

The one from the frozen foods isle and the one with the attitude.

The rain masked their smell for a second but her father was fully aware of them almost instantly. Railey's smile vanished as the waitress returned, taking their order before moving over to the table the boys had been sat at.

"Those the ones?"

"That's two of them. They had another two alongside." She wanted the menu back so she looked like she was doing something. Grabbing at the boat of creamers she made herself busy building a small wall of coffee creamer as her father shot the two boys looks. They were doing the same in return as she could feel their eyes on the back of her head.

When the waitress returned with their food her fathered asked for the bill and two cartons to take the food with them. Railey didn't stop the sigh of disappointment that left her as she sucked down as much of the water as she could before shoveling her burger into her carton. They paid and got up, situating themselves for the onslaught of rain outside. Her father steered them away from the table but Railey chanced a glance, catching a pair of curious eyes and another set that screamed her own murder.


	2. Chapter 2

"They called back huh?" Her father shuffled into the kitchen, eyeing up her attire and smiling. He grabbed a cup out of the cabinet and filled it with milk before sitting down at the table. Railey finished the eggs, dished them on two plates, and put one down in front of him before taking the other and sitting across from him.

"Yeah, two days ago. I start training today." He nodded and they ate in silence. When he picked himself up to leave he put his plate in the sink before venturing over and placing a soft kiss on the bundled up folds of her hair. She wrinkled her nose and he laughed, saying goodbye before heading out the door.

She had applied at the grocery store because there was nowhere else in the town to work. Her dad wanted her to have a job, something to do when school was over to occupy her time. After finishing up her food she did the same as her dad, grabbing her keys off the table and locking up on her way out.

* * *

"Alright, so it's fairly simple. You just hit "Start Transaction" and then you scan everything. If they want to pay with cash hit this button if they're paying with a credit card, they just swipe it and the machine takes it from there." Railey nodded to the young boy who had gotten stuck on training her today. He was nice enough, tall, broad shoulders and a healthy smile. It never left his face as he walked her around and introduced her to the story.

"If you need anything give a holler, names Liam." He shook her hand before leaving her there, flipping on her light and running off to his own register.

* * *

Her leave for break was thirty minutes. She found shelter outside of the store, sliding out the front door and walking around the back. The warm brick pressed against her as she sank down to the ground, rubbing her head and the throbbing headache going on inside of it.

She had only had one job in her entire life, and that was taking care of her father. She knew she had it easy, responsibility not one of her main requirements in future years. It just sucked.

The hoots and howls, all human forms, pulled her attention to down the way. Tree's made up 90% of La Push and the surrounding areas. Thick vegetation pushed up against the parking lot, four boys stumbling out of it. She watched as they pulled from unbuttoned jean shorts their shirts, redressing themselves and zipping up.

She couldn't recall running into such young one's before. All her time with her dad had been spent among older, wiser individuals. Maybe that's why her father had been on edge the last couple of nights. These young boys were foreign to her, and to their situation. Her understanding of her people was that the youth were born when an uprising of vampires was coming, so why did her dad pick La Push?

She tried to keep herself hidden in the shadows but the push of air past her rattled cans in the nearby over-piled dumpster and one set of eyes jumped in her direction out of predatory habit. The boy from the frozen goods isle grinned.

She could taste the adrenaline in her mouth as she swallowed hard, watching him make his way towards her. The other three took note and started to follow after a hesitated inspection. She didn't want to be here anymore and her jeep was just around the building. She couldn't leave; not in the middle of her first shift. Not in the middle of the job she had gotten to prove something to herself and to her father; she wasn't a child anymore.

"Stranger." He crouched down in front of her, his friends standing behind him. Her throat had gone numb; the words stuck down deep inside her stomach somewhere. "My name is Embry, this is Jacob, Seth, and Paul."

Did they know? They obviously knew her father was who he was but did they know who she was? Did she have a red flag on her back somewhere, a piece of paper much like the "kick me" taunts that read Mutt? She couldn't fathom how they knew without thinking of herself as a legend; because only a rumor could precede her condition.

"Railey." She was stiff.

Embry chuckled softly as he nodded, looking up at his leader, who she now knew was Jacob.

"What do you want?" She shakily crossed her arms, wishing she was up off the ground. Eye to eye combat with these boys would be easier than suffering in her own confusion and fear on the hard tarmac.

"Just to introduce you to the other side of La Push. As a child of… well… one of us, it only seems customary." Embry offered her a hand when she made to stand but she brushed it off.

She wobbled to her feet ungracefully, placing hands on the brick wall as to sturdy herself. She had to look like an animal stuck in the woes of bright lights as she eyed them all up, stopping on Jacob who still remained to have a sour look on his face.

"Railey are you back here, I've been look-" Liam's voice cut off when he came around the corner, spotting Railey pinned against a wall with her eyes wide. He moved to her side quickly, taking a hold of her hand and pulling her closer to him. He was only trying to comfort her and she would thank him later but the time wasn't now.

"It was nice to meet you, thank you for the introduction." Railey shakily parted her eyes from Jacobs and gave Liam a smile before untangled her arm from his hold and pushing him towards the edge of the building. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, watching the same smoldering upset look over take Embry's features as it had Jacobs. Her heart rate picked up as she scurried as quickly as possible back inside.

"You've met the Bogan brothers." Liam walked with her to the back where the staff room was. Railey took a seat at the round table in the middle of the bland colored walled room, looking up at him confused.

"The what?"

"Bogan. It's just a term for Indian. Look," Liam took a seat next to her, giving her the softest of smiles. "You don't want to go near them. They're bad news. Their reputation isn't very good and the truth behind it all is pretty damn close to the rumors." Railey looked at him closely, noting the sincerity in his voice as he stared at her.

"Thanks mom."

"I'm sorry. I realize how controlling this sounds. Just trust me Railey." Liam reached out and placed a hand carefully on hers. His skin was warm, clammy to the touch and extremely soft. He seemed to take her silence as welcomed as he smiled, leaning in closer to her. He brought with him the smell of mint. "Jacob and his friends are bad news."

Railey swallowed, nodding and wiggling her hand out from under his as she stood. He followed suit, completely content with himself as he led her back out onto the floor. She remained at her register, all the time aware of Liam's eyes on her as he watched her from a far.

She felt like a bug in that moment. Fully aware of his stare. He meant well, she knew that. She'd give him that. He didn't understand the complexity of the situation and he was trying to protect her from what he understood. She let out a deep sigh, giving him a smile when she caught even with his eyes. Maybe this would be ok. She let herself think of the best as she pushed down the worst. She could make friends; she could live that picture perfect life, stuffed behind the white fence as she flipped burgers on a grill.

Although it grossed her out it was tempting; normalcy. Easy living. She liked its aftertaste after she mumbled it to herself.

* * *

"I said no." Railey's father slammed her bedroom door behind him as he left. She screamed, tossing a pillow at the wooden barrier. She was still dressed in her work attire, apron thrown over the foot of her nicely made bed. It was pale green; like the button up collared shirt they had given her as well.

She yanked down her hair, tossing the tie across the room as she stood up dramatically and kicked off her shoes. Taking off her shirt she grabbed at the nearest box titled clothes and rummaged through looking for something to wear.

She wanted to go running. There was no harm in running. Sure, she could go faster than most cars and pass most trains, but there was no harm in running.

Her stomach grumbled from her lack of attention to dinner. It was his fault. He had thrown a steaming pile of shit on her plate when he flat out told her no. Of course she had no appetite then; she was angry. She wished she had eaten the pork chop she had slaved over right after work in an attempt to butter him up, but that was in the past. And downstairs.

Pulling on the first black t-shirt she found and a pair of jeans, Railey headed to her empty dresser and stared into the mirror propped up on it. Her toes curled around the discarded hair tie and she picked it up quickly, brushing out her hair and pulling it back up.

She was an adult.

She didn't need his permission.

* * *

She figured herself a rebel as she cut across the vast yard into the trees. Waiting for him to go to bed was easy. The climbing out of the house and swinging down the giant tree next to her bedroom window was not. She had a few scratches that would be gone in a few minutes.

Nothing she couldn't handle.

The sound of the forest encased her as she skipped over logs gleefully. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the thick canopy above, dodging trees without her eyes forward. She could feel the world around her; she didn't need to see it. Each tree, each branch, bug, plant, mound of dirt… it was all singing the same song she had so desperately missed.

Her momentum continued to push forward as she gained speed normal humans could not move at. She could feel her skin aching, wishing to purge of its hold. It never did though; she had learned a long time ago she wasn't like her father. He could make the aching go away by simple shaking off his clothes and shedding his skin. She had to run; run as fast as she could. Run through the world, making it a blur around her as she got lost in her own mind.

Only then could she be free of the pain in her bones.

She had only seen herself once in this heightened state of reality and it had scared her. Her bones seemed to radiate within her skin, a small hum all around her. Her hair was always disheveled, finger nails long and pointed. She grew random tuffs of hair on her forearms and biceps, circling up around her shoulders only to fade off. It was soft and black like her real hair, and would go away the minute she relaxed. The most startling aspect though was her eyes. Blood red, starving eyes.

She gained even more speed as she thought of herself in that ugly state. Her feet jumping over fallen tree limbs as she darted across the ground. She barged into a clearing, only noting the cliff fractions before she stumbled into the water. She skidded at the ledge, looking down at the drop that could have surely ended anyone's life; it would have only left her wet.

A burst of air left her lungs and she broke out into a strange giggle as she collapsed backwards into the wet grass around her. Her body began to relax with each exhale as she sank back into herself and stared up at the stars. This was heaven. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this free. Her dad wasn't necessarily strict, she just made him that way. Countless times she had proven herself time and time again to be an issue, and he had to start laying down ground rules. But they were made to be broken, and she couldn't just let it go.

The breaking of limbs to her right startled.

She busied herself with standing, eyeing up the shadows in the trees.

She saw their eyes before she saw their bodies. Glowing orbs as the moon shined on them. Followed by a mass of fur, predatory glares as they came out of the trees on all fours. Giant, larger than she remembered as it had been a while since she'd been this close. Beautiful coats of fur blushing almost in the moon light as they moved towards her. She could see the muscles under the flesh as they took steps closer.

"Stalking me now? Can't seem to get away from you." She could only assume that these were the boys she had encountered twice now in her week of being here. Following suit behind the giant wolves was Jacob, barely dressed, pulling on a t-shirt. Railey crossed her arms defensively, watching as he shimmed between his fellow pack members and stood in front of her.

"Why are you out so late?"

"I didn't know La Push had a curfew." The grunts and snuffles from the dogs told her they were chuckling, much to Jacob's detesting glare. She felt privileged almost, to have made his boys laugh in such a situation.

"We have a curfew. We keep this place safe." He stepped closer to her and she could tell he was trying to be threatening. The air around him seemed to crackle, peel at the notion of him walking through it. She shivered, wishing suddenly that she had stayed at home in her own room where she belonged. "We'll escort you back."

She didn't have time to protest as a tall slender gray wolf on her left stepped forward. He had black spots on his coat and big beautiful brown eyes. She stood there shaking, staring into his glass orbs as he moved towards her slowly. Jacob had retreated back into the trees much like his pack, leaving her alone with the giant creature as he bowed his head slightly, never taking his eyes off hers.

She shakily reached out, dropping her hand into the fur on his head, scratching softly at the spot behind his ear. He whined softly, closing his eyes.

"Ok I suppose. I'm warning you I'm fat." Without another word he ruffled his fur, moving around her and dropping down. She had no time to think as he parted her legs and slid under her, scooping her up on his back and diving into the trees. She held on for dear life, burying her face in his fur as he shot through the forest.

The wind whipped around her and she chanced a look up, remembering fondly of mornings with her father when she was a child. The giggle escaped her which only fueled the wolf to move faster as he climbed ahead of his pack and passed them in the direction of her home.

She didn't want it to end.

They slowed down and entered her back yard quietly. She held onto the wolf for a moment longer, trying to mentally will him to keep moving. He could take her for miles; the sun wasn't climbing into the sky just yet.

With a deep sigh she gave up on her imagination. Sliding down from the wolf she rubbed behind his ear one last time, placing a soft kiss on the softer fur of his forehead. He watched her move up the tree, his pack deep in the woods making comments. He tuned them out, making sure she didn't fall as she shimmed on the branch to her window. When she was safe inside, the light flicking on and the window closing Embry stepped back into the forest.


	3. Chapter 3

Railey slammed her father's passenger door shut, shooting him an agitated look before gaining the courage to enter the confines of the school. She didn't look back to see if he had left. He had gone and he would be back at the end of the day. As part of her strict if-you-ever-sneak-out-again-I'll-skin-you-alive plan, her father would be a chauffeur for the rest of her natural life.

Classes hadn't begun for the morning, the halls slightly full with the students of La Push. Railey kept her eyes down, looking up only momentarily to notice her direction. She didn't draw attention to herself, as she easily moved down the hall like a shadow crawling on the walls. Her mood fit the situation. The glamor of a new home long gone and past. By the time she got home there were more than likely going to be bars on the windows, judging by home upset her father had been.

The office wasn't too hard to spot. As she headed for it she passed by Embry and the new born of the pack. She raised her chin in recognition, Embry's eyes finding her with ease. He gave her a short wave, a smile to accompany it, before shooting his eyes down the hall. Maybe she wasn't supposed to follow his glance, but she couldn't stop herself. She watched a livid Jacob ruffle through his locker. She tried to get to the office before he looked up, a childish antic that if he didn't see her he wouldn't know she was there. His eyes found her with a predesigned destiny however, that hateful look not dropping as he glared into her. So much corrosive anger.

The office was her refuge, the one-too-many-donuts receptionist not even glancing up at her arrival. She rasped on the desk with hopes of getting her attention, putting on a half assed smile to help the pleasantries.

"Can I help you?" The lady looked up from her book, the brim of her glasses set low on her nose. She seemed disinterested, the story of the novel in her hands much better than the hum drum of the school around her.

"Yes, I just need to check in and get my schedule." Railey gave her name and waited patiently as the woman looked her up on the computer and printed off her schedule. She slapped it down on the counter with an overzealous touch, providing along with it a schedule book and a small pamphlet on the school.

"That's your schedule, you'll need the planner to know about scheduled events that the school has so don't lose it. Any questions?" The lady waited a second before nodding her head and picking up a pack of pink paper and scribbling on the top sheet. "You can use this to be excused as a late slip for all classes today, but it won't exceed past today." Railey thanked her and pocketed the slip, taking the planner and pamphlet and depositing them in her book bag while the lady got her a locker and combination set up. She slapped the lock down on the counter with the same vigor as she had the schedule.

Railey scooped it up and thanked her again before heading out of the office in search of her locker. The hall was clearing out, students heading into classrooms as a warning bell chimed over the intercom. Her locker was just down the hall from the office, oddly enough four down from where she had seen Jacob fishing through his. She opened the lock and looked into the locker before putting the lock on it and closing it up tight. To pass a moment of time she tried the lock a few times, trying to steady her mind.

She dug out the schedule and started towards the math class she was already twenty minutes late to. Making sure she had the slip in her hand, she opened the door to the full classroom and avoided the eyes. The teacher stopped in the middle of his lesson, looking to her just like the rest of them. She stepped forward slowly and handed him the slip, watching as his eyes danced on the pink paper before handing it back to her.

"We have a new student with us class, this is..." He let his words drop so she could introduce herself.

"Railey." It was a mutter but they heard it good enough. She scanned their faces for any interest, taking note immediately of the hulk in the back row on the right. The boy in the back was a part of Jacob's group, his stature making him appear to be years beyond his peers. She waited for the signal to head to a vacant seat and headed to the one in the back, right next to the boy. He didn't give her a second glance, his eyesight out the window. Railey only looked in his direction for a moment longer before becoming lost in the yammer of mathematics.

* * *

The line in front of her was growing shorter and shorter. She refused to grab a tray, finding the food for lunch unappetizing. Railey merely grabbed a bottle of water and a prepackaged cup of fruit, waiting for the people in front of her to pay so she could do the same. Her eyes danced around the room as she flowed forward with the steady line. The cafeteria was massive. The wall opposite the food line was an expansion of windows and doors. They led to outside seating, tree's providing proper shade in the large green slope of forever-green grass. Not that the sun was ever out in this place.

She paid in cash and stepped out of line, looking for any vacant table to sit at, to remain invisible.

"Isn't this just special, my own Railey at school with me." She didn't need to turn around to know Embry was smiling brightly. He stepped around her, his arms crossed over his chest, looking her up and down with that very grin. It was strange to see him clothed, the red t-shirt stretching over his chest tightly. She assumed he hadn't updated his wardrobe when he phased.

"I'm not yours." She stepped around him and moved towards an empty table.

"Nope, not gonna be that easy." Embry took a hold of her arm gently and pulled her along, away from that table. He pulled her through the weaving of tables, dropping himself down finally, the only other person there being the boy from her math class. She took a seat next to him, noting that his eyes were lost in the vacancy of the window here as well.

"Railey this is Brady. He's a new addition like Seth." Embry's voice brought Brady out of his trance. Railey watched as he turned to her and smiled, extending his hand to be shaken. She obliged, finding this introduction rather formal and out of place.

"How big is your pack?" She took the lid off the fruit cup and popped a strawberry into her mouth. Her stomach growled with a renewed appetite she hadn't had earlier in the morning. Embry took a giant bite of the cheeseburger he had gotten, counting off on his fingers as he chewed.

"Well, it's just me, Seth, Brady, Leah, and Jacob right now. We had a split up a few months ago." Railey nodded her head in understanding. Shape-shifters always had fights for dominance, and she could only assume that Jacob couldn't take being told what to do anymore. "Whats the deal with your dad, I've only ever heard of a rogue guardian, never met one."

"I don't know. He won't tell me." The many attempted conversations with her father about that topic in particular always went badly. He would give her short answers then send her up to her room for being too nosy. "I just know he's been on his own even before me." She didn't mention her mother.

"I think it's cool. I haven't actually met your dad, but the whole rogue thing is awesome." Embry took another big bite of his burger, almost swallowing it whole. Railey watched him carefully, forgetting for a moment that he was in fact still a boy. Through the years of knowing shape-shifters she always found that remembering their true age was hard. They looked older, fought older, and seemed to always get themselves into situations for adults; but they were still children in their own right.

"Except for he's lonely most the time. I know how much you all rely on one another. I'm all he's got right now." Embry weighed this response, nodding his head and finishing off his burger. Railey looked over at Brady, his eyes once again staring out the window. She ate the rest of the fruit in her cup, taking a drink from her water bottle before snatching a fry from Embry's tray.

"Hey Jack." Railey didn't turn around. She could feel him behind her, staring into the back of her head, waiting for it to explode.

"There's a meeting tonight. Be at my place by six. No visitors." He was short on arrival and even shorter on departure. Railey watched him go, his figure sliding through the doors to the outside sitting area in seconds. It was as if he hadn't even been there originally. She gained a chill from the experience, not fully understanding what she had done to him to make him detest her so much.

"I don't get it." She chugged the rest of her water, snatching one last fry from Embry's tray. They got up in unison, Brady following behind in his own world.

"Get what?"

"Why he hates me so much." She threw away her cup and bottle, waiting for Embry as he smiled to himself with inside knowledge.

"It's not you, trust me. He's just a love sick puppy, and his girl wants a leech instead of a wolf."


	4. Chapter 4

The week had evaded her in no time. The commitment of school, her newly acquired and unexpected friends, and her struggle with being grounded all caving in on the seven days that were meant to be easy breezy. Homework was worse than she remembered. She was already finding herself behind in assignments that were due two days ago. And her job was more of a nuisance than an escape anymore. It never failed, whenever she showed up to work, Embry was there, buying something pointless and little just so he could talk.

Embry and Brady had taken a shining to her. Every corner she rounded, every door she exited, he was there. He was infectious at times, annoying usually, and forever in her mind as he seemed to want to be. He walked her to and from class, whisked her to the front of the lunch line, and then all but carried her to the lunch table where Brady was metamorphosing before their very eyes. He seemed to have snapped out of his dazed state, his mouth running a mile a minute with stories and questions.

She only wished that the excitement of school could carry over to her home front.

"Railey, get down here!" Railey pulled out her head phones and rolled her eyes. Her father had been nothing but a yelling, screaming ninny since she had ran out. She had been condemned to her room, or the kitchen, this entire past week. If she wasn't at school or doing homework she was cooking a meal that they sat in complete silence for. Her shifts at the store were chauffeured as well, his constant eye on her. He was angry with her, she was angry with him. If they spoke it was short and to the point. The progress they had been making a month ago was long gone now as they seemed to be crawling back into the torturous miscommunication stages of her "rebellion".

Picking herself up off her bed, chemistry book toppling to the floor, Railey headed downstairs where her father waited patiently, a smiling Embry standing next to him. His grin grew bigger as he waved shortly to her.

"This boy tells me you know him?"

"Unfortunately." Railey crossed her arms over her chest, stepping down completely from the stairs. Embry's smile only grew as he chuckled at her unintended joke. She rolled her eyes, but smiled none the less.

"I came over to see if you'd like to come to a barbeque with me. It's a big get together for the pack and friends." Railey looked to her dad, watching as he sized up the young shapeshifter himself. Her father's features were hard, his eyes scanning over the young man like a laser.

"I'm locked up in prison right now. I don't think I'll be able to go unless you offer your soul up." Embry turned to her father, that same easy going smile on his features. Her father's glare didn't seem to faze him. She tried desperately not to crack up then and there. Embry made sure to mention he would bring her back early and that she would be utterly safe in his hands. He tried to wiggle in the struggles of her week at school and how she needed a break but the look on her father's face never faltered.

"Where is this party?" Her father remained stiff permanently, keeping his eyes on Embry.

"It's at the Black residence sir."

Her father tensed. He turned to look into Railey's face as his mind continued to work out exactly what he was going to choose. She wanted to jump into his brain and find out what exactly he was thinking. There was more to this than him letting his daughter go. Jacob's last name stirred something in him. She was forever locked out of the darkness of his thoughts though. He wasn't designed for that stress. His very _species_ was made to coexist with many of their kind, allowing their emotions and thoughts to be felt and understood by others. He wasn't sharing himself with anyone anymore.

"You can go, but you must be back by midnight." Railey was stunned. She stood there for a moment longer, watching as her dad turned around and headed back into his study. His shoulders were slumped but the light shake of his head told her he was laughing to himself.

She blinked, looking at Embry's whose grin grew larger than life. She darted upstairs quickly, pulling her clothes off in a dash and sliding on shorts and a tank top, pulling her hair up quickly. She wiggled into sandals and grabbed a sweater for later, heading back downstairs only a minute later, to kiss her father on the cheek before darting outside with Embry by her side.

"Where's your vehicle?"

"Me of course." Railey watched as he darted into the woods, only seconds later coming out in a new shape. He nuzzled her carefully, his giant form blocking the moons cascading light. She gripped the fur on his neck, allowing him to assist in tossing her up. She settled down on his back, a wicked grin on her face as he broke out into a full run, darting between the trees.

They passed the ledge, Embry darting back into the trees with ease. She clung to him, keeping her body level to his flesh as the night slipped past them. He came to a halt at the tree line just before the beach. Railey shimmied off of his back, breaching the line and stepping onto the sand, waiting for him to shift back and put his clothes on.

She could see the fire just down the way followed by the bodies dancing in front of its light. She hadn't been on the beach since she was a child, the sun always sickening to her senses. She didn't mind it much but prolonged exposure made her skin break out in rashes. She tensed up at the thought of socializing. Friends weren't her thing after all. So many years of telling herself she didn't need shit from anyone and the day had come where she was burying herself in their clutches. Embry's arm over her shoulder gave her the strength to carry on and the warmth to ward off the shiver's.

He pulled her along the beach to the gathering, howling into the night air in his human form, shirt tucked into his back pocket. Railey rolled her eyes up at him, thanking him mentally for being such a solid in her life thus far. He didn't know how important he was.

Embry dropped his arm from around her but still remained close to her side as they began to socialize. Railey was quickly thrust into a debate with Brady and Seth about engines. She wasn't too smart on the subject so she passed judgment in the same eyes as Brady. He thanked her with a hug, puffing out his chest like a child to show his superiority to Seth.

Embry was there even when he was speaking with Sam and Quil, who Railey was later introduced to. Everyone was so easy to speak with. She was remarkably taken aback by their generosity and fun loving personalities. Her time with shape-shifters in the past was a lot different than this.

Embry talked animatedly with his brothers as Railey looked over the faces of all the people around them. She was looking for him, looking for that angry glare to remind her that she wasn't accepted. She always found solace in the upset in his face for some reason; maybe because she could actually see the truth behind his anger. Sometimes she didn't know if the happiness in everyone's eyes was real or just a lie covered up by saving face.

Her eyes found Jacob past the party line, a smile creasing his face. She had a hard time believing that that was him, as she wasn't used to this feature on his face. He was walking, talking, and laughing with a tall skinny brunette, her pale skin in an even competition with the glimmer of the moon. They talked intimately on a log, backs facing the party as they kept themselves in private. His features screamed all those of a boy in love and Railey knew immediately that this was the girl Embry had mentioned last week.

"That's Bella Swan." Embry's hand had slid to the small of her back at some time, his eyes following hers when he had noticed her lull in conversation. Railey looked away from Jacob and his crush immediately, finding solace in Embry's eyes.

"She was the newbie in town before you arrived. She's madly in love with a vampire; has plans of being converted on her wedding night. That doesn't stop Jacob though." Railey only glanced at Jacob and Bella for a second longer before mentioning that she hadn't eaten all day. Her stomach was mildly upset but she assumed that was because of her lack of food.

Embry's grin turned wolfish at the mention of substance. He pulled her along the edge of the fire, the blaze licking at their heels, to the grill and buffet table. Railey's eyes grew wide at the abundance of food but then she remembered that the party was for shape-shifters. She counted five that she knew personally, but she more than assumed the larger men that she had spoken to earlier were one in the same as well. After grabbing as much food as they could carry they took a seat at the community picnic table. Brady saddled up next to Railey in a second, Embry on her other side. She moved closer to her hulk of a friend, as he responded by putting his arm around her waist.

She wasn't entirely weirded out by his affection. She didn't question him, as he was lost in conversation with Sam, his action towards her second nature it seemed. She ate and listened to Embry talk with Sam about the Cullen's, the conversation immediately shifting to the vampire new born army that was brewing. She took note of the facts, stomaching the fact that they weren't sure who would be surviving the battle that was on the brink of arrival. Her eyes traveled over the landscape to find Jacob once again. He was still lost in the snare of Bella.

He seemed so small in comparison to the strength and servility that Sam exuded. She couldn't fathom how he had pronounced himself as an Alpha and walked out on Sam with more than half of his pack with ease. She furrowed her brow in confusion, becoming lost in her own mind easily.

"You look lost in confusion." She was startled out of her mind by Embry. His fingers tickled her side as he withdrew his hand carefully. She noted the lack of heat suddenly, the wind breathing past her quickly. She pulled on her sweater.

"I'm just trying to figure you all out. I'm overly confused on how Jacob could be so well pronounced but still remain such a child when war is so close."

"It's just how he is around Bella. We don't push it anymore. It's been like this for a while, something you just got to take with the concept of him. When he's not around her though he's different."

She finished off her food without much conversation. Picking herself up and tossing out the remains of her food she hugged herself in simple pleasure. It had been a while since being accepted had come so easily.

"You any good with balls?" Railey turned abruptly and glared at Embry, who held a volleyball in his hands. She scoffed at him as he laughed boisterously. It never failed for him to be full of laughs. He could be so serious one second and roll on the floor at his own jokes the next. She snatched the volleyball out of his hand and ran down the beach, heading to the net they had set up. He followed her, setting up on the other side and calling over his friends. Quil and Seth went to her side of the net, whereas Leah and Brady migrated towards Embry's.

"This should be fun."

Railey squared her eyes on Embry's wolfish grin while serving the ball perfectly over the net. He spiked the ball back over without much effort, pile driving it into the dirt. She jumped back, a little fearful at the show of gallantry but the others seemed to have saw it coming.

"Fun and unfair!" She yelled back, watching as Quil dug the ball out of the dirt, rolling it to Leah on the other side.

"Embry isn't one for fair when it comes to games. No worries, I know his tricks." The game continued seamlessly. Railey was painfully refraining from doing anything abnormal as she was assumed to be human. There were times where she felt herself moving too quickly. She forced herself to be sluggish, taking the pouts and groans when she didn't hit the ball hard enough or reach it in time. She couldn't afford being anything but a "stupid human" in this case.

She avoided the balls Embry hit, as the first hit she took was already causing a bruise. When the game came to an end Embry ran to her, smiling impishly, until he noticed the bruises. His happy go lucky personality sank into him in no time, his mood rounding out with sorrow. His brow furrowed in confusion, then his eyes swam with understanding and shame.

"Don't worry about it wolf boy. I can handle it." His fingers brushed over the bruises with detailed care as he seemed to try to erase them. She took a hold of his fingers and reassured him once again that it would be ok. They'd be gone in a few days, as she was known to bruise easily. He didn't seem to want to let it go but his name was being called, his attention being forced somewhere else.

Railey allowed Embry to take her towards a man in a wheel chair. His hold on her was gentler and she rolled her eyes at his extreme care. If only he knew she would heal before the hour was up.

"Railey this is Jacob's father, Billy." The older man leaned forward with a grin to match Embry's on his face. He shook her hand with vigor, faltering though when her flesh touched his. She could see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to read the look on her face. She was momentarily reminded of her father and the way he seemed to function when he was thinking. She tried to pull her hand away but he only held on stronger, bringing his other hand around to grip her arm.

"What is your last name my child?"

"Hale."

"As in Peter Hale's daughter?"

"The very one." Billy dropped both his hands, relinquishing her hand abruptly. He pushed himself back a foots distance, smiling politely. She could see however the upset on his face as he tried to hide it.

"Come on Railey, it's time I took you home. Wouldn't want to get your dad upset when he's being so nice." Railey said her goodbye's to everyone, allowing Embry to lead her to the edge of the trees where they had come to the beach.

Embry shifted and she easily climbed onto his back. Their return visit was slower, and as they neared her home he stopped, letting her off. He shifted there in the dark in front of her, a blush crawling across her cheeks as she looked away from him as he pulled his pants on. They walked the rest of the way back to her house, laughing and talking of anything and everything. She hadn't felt at peace with someone else in a long time, her shifting of homes and secrets always in the front of her mind. Embry was easy to get along with, his personality infectious. He left her on her door step, bidding her goodnight before heading off into the woods. Railey's mind swam with the party, remembering all the faces and all the familiarity and acceptance she had had. The only bad thought plaguing her was the interaction with Billy.


	5. Chapter 5

Railey placed her tray in front of her usual seat at the empty table she had been sharing with at least two teen boys for the past week and a half. Their usual uplifting presence was gone. They weren't in class, weren't in the halls. They hadn't shown their faces for the past two days and she was stuck in a mixture of worried and scared.

She kept her eyes to herself, sinking into the floor as she waited for Embry to show up. She recalled the mention of battle, but surely it wouldn't be so soon. Embry would have told her, wouldn't he of? After being so used to his attention the sudden lack of him was putting her nerves over board.

She couldn't get the way Billy had looked at her out of her head either. His steady eyes taking in her name and fully understanding the depths of what she was more than she did. He knew. He had to know. He probably told the boys and that's why they were keeping their distance. They knew what she was and they were planning her death. Couldn't have a mutt in the vicinity, it could very well ruin reputation. Wolves were only excepting of other wolves, understanding other species was complicated. It happened, but it was complicated.

 _They were made to protect, not to understand._

She couldn't even stomach the thought of Embry being upset with her.

She quickly consumed her lunch, her mind rampaging her with wild thoughts. Thoughts of lies and confusion. She wanted to know desperately all the chaos running through her father's head. She deserved to know the thoughts and memories that concerned her. She brooded through her classes, ignoring the spaces that Embry usually filled. She missed him more than she'd like to admit.

The crowds of people pushed past her at the end of the day as she waited in an angry fit for her father. Her mind had given up on trying to deflect the bad thoughts. All she could think of was what she was and why it wasn't acceptable. Why her father wouldn't tell her, why he was keeping secrets, and what she was going to do about it.

It wasn't like these secrets hadn't been there the whole time but it was only now that she was awakening to the realization of it all. They had been locked into the turmoil of her mother's lose, of her father's inability to get over the woman he had loved.

When he didn't show up to pick her up she started the walk home, her temper getting the better of her. If anyone had been on the street with her they would have noticed the flicker of coloring in her eyes, the small changes her features undertook, the seething anger in her step, and the speed in which she was approaching her house.

She slammed into the door with ease, yelling for her father. He didn't reply. She merely started for his study, yelling out his name again as she rudely entered the private room. He stood up from his seat on the couch, Billy sitting across from him. She could see the conversation they were having laid out in front of her. They had been talking about her, it was evident. The way her father was looking at her now, shame in his eyes, Billy's uncertainty to turn abruptly in his features; they had been speaking of her. Railey watched with certain upset as the man in the chair turned to look at her, a set glare in his features. He could glare all he wanted but it wouldn't change what she was.

"Got a problem, or haven't you seen a mutt before?" The words escaped her before she could stop herself. Her father was in front of her in no time, hauling her out of the room and apologizing to Billy before shutting the door behind them.

"Don't you ever speak to anyone like that again." Railey pulled away from her him, a low growl emitting from her tightly closed lips. She circled on him abruptly, her anger from the day blocking out all reason. She was tired of lies, she was tired of this being "left out" position.

"I learn to be an ass from my father, excuse me." He was on the brink of anger himself. She could see the contortion of his face as he bit back all the cruel things he wanted to yell back at her.

"That's right, excuse yourself. I don't know what this little personality thing you got going on is Railey but you need to cut it out."

"I'll stop bothering you when you stop lying to me."

"I don't lie to you." The tension grew thick. Railey could only imagine Billy was getting an earful, sitting in the other room, participating in this argument in his silent ways. After it was all said and done he would console her father, that much she knew, and remind him that mutts weren't easy to take care of. It infuriated her just at the thought of it all.

"No, you merely omit the reason I'm alive and the heritage I have inside me. You also omit why so many shapeshifters want to kill me, but I suppose that's a conversation for later, like every other one we have is."

"The past is just that."

"When are you going to move past her death and stop hiding behind it? I have."

"No you haven't. You're the one hiding; behind all this. You're being selfish and you're blaming it on everything else."

Railey's eyes blazed with anger. She stepped back from her father and only stared into his eyes for a moment longer before slamming her way out of the house. She couldn't afford to argue with him any longer. He didn't call after her, he didn't come looking. She was a lost case to him now. She whipped through the trees with tears in her eyes, stumbling over limbs and shrubbery. She couldn't be anything that he wanted, that much was clear. Maybe the assumption was right. Maybe she was nothing but a dysfunctional animal that was struggling to find the proper identity.

She stumbled one last time, the log in her way throwing her across the forest floor. Railey groaned from her position in the dirt, refusing to pick herself up. She rolled over, aware of the dirt in her hair that was now being caked onto her back. She didn't much care. It was safe down here. She was away from all the reticule, away from the stares. If only she could get away from herself, life would be easier.

"Are you trying out new camouflage techniques?" Embry's smiling face leaned over her out of nowhere. She squeaked out of shock, sitting up abruptly and scuttling back. Embry laughed hysterically, stepping back and sinking down onto the log that she had tripped over just a few minutes ago. Railey picked herself up off the ground with contempt and glared at him for his random appearance. She dusted the dirt off as best she could from her clothing, sinking down on the log next to Embry, not giving up the glare she had set on him.

"I assume you're upset I haven't been around recently."

"You would be assuming correctly." She crossed her arms over her chest and adjusted, straddling the log, watching him with a pointed stare, refusing to continue speaking until he came up with a logical excuse.

"We were out further than we've ever been. There's a problem with newborn vampires stirring outside our limits. We've been training these past couple of days for the battle that could potentially happen."

Railey furrowed her brow, watching as Embry seemed to sink in stature. He dropped his head into his hands, rubbing his eyes as a sign of exhaustion. Railey didn't know what possessed her but she reached out, scratching her nails carefully up and down his back. He leaned in closer to her without question, grumbling with enjoyment as she dug into his flesh ever so slightly. "I'm so tired, you've no idea. Jacob insisted on continuous fighting and we had to sleep in our wolf forms. Which isn't a problem, but I'm so used to a bed that the ground was a big adjustment."

"My poor baby." She was patronizing him, he only chuckled at her, moving closer still. "Just turn around already, It'll be easier." He complied, copying her sitting position and sliding back to her. She made easy work of rubbing out the kinks in his back, aware when she hit a tender spot as he groaned with pleasure. It stirred in her a feeling she hadn't felt around him before. Her hands trembled slightly, the silence of the forest around them the only other noise. When her hands became exhausted she leaned against him, pressing into his abnormal warmth as they sat in utter silence.

"So you gonna tell me why you're in the woods, and why you were rolling in the dirt with what could have been tears in your eyes?"

It was Railey's turn to groan as she picked herself up off his back and sighed. Embry stood up for a moment to stretch, cracking his back and shaking off the invisible dust in his bones. He sank back down on the log, this time facing her, his thinking face on. She had learned in only a few days that he always looked like that when he was ready to talk serious. She was rather fond of his smile more so, but his serious side had its astounding qualities as well.

"It's complicated." To tell him would be to reveal who she really was. The very thought of letting him know and having him so upset with her and himself for what she was was equivalent to stabbing herself in the heart. Embry had become, even though it was such a short time, important to her. More important than he might know.

"I don't mind complicated, Rye."

She smiled at the nickname he had been developing for her. She scolded him the first time he had said it, ignored it the second and third. The past two days though, she wouldn't admit it out loud, but she had missed the sound of it coming from him. Railey's mind tossed and turned in those seconds of internal debate. She could tell him, see him run furious and hear the names he was surely to call her; or she could make up a false truth and forever hate herself for lying to him.

"You've got to promise not to hate me." It was childish, she knew, and would probably amount to nothing if he wanted to dislike her in the end; but she was compelled to say it none the less.

"I couldn't hate you." She sighed, staring into his all-knowing eyes and nodding in agreement that she would spill. She didn't know exactly how to start however. Everything was speeding past her head so abruptly. She struggled with her position in it all and decided first things first.

"I'm not human." She shifted slightly, ignoring his eyes as she tried to think of a way to explain without sounding so lost herself. "I have parts of my father and mother infused in me. It's a rare condition, usually a spawn of two different creatures takes on the features of one, but I seemed to have always wanted to be different. I'm half of what my dad is and half of what my mother was." She shivered from an invisible wind, giving up on waiting for the ground to tell her what Embry was feeling. She'd just have to look to know what the damage was.

Her eyes found his, hard and changed. For the first time in her existence of knowing him the warmth that was wrapped around her dear friend Embry was gone. She had to stop herself from crying, whispering to her heart and mind that this was expected; but it still found time to hurt.

Embry picked himself up off the log, turning his back to her and taking a few strides into the woods. Night time was falling in quickly, the sun setting just over his head. He leaned on a nearby tree, looking into the abyss, trying to think. Railey waited as patiently as she could. He wasn't reacting a way she was accustom to. Her mind was running loose with the change in pace that had occurred. She wanted to rewind and replace that stupid blurt of truth with a common lie to make herself feel better.

"Say something, please. Don't leave me in this silence." Railey picked herself up immediately, approaching him slowly. When she reached out to touch him he jerked away from her touch, turning on her abruptly and taking a step back. She felt dejected, but still furious. He was her friend; why couldn't he understand. She wanted him to understand; of all people. She couldn't pinpoint why but Embry had to understand. He was important to her, didn't he see that?

"Expected, really. It's so common. Let's hate the _mutt_ for what she didn't choose to be." She glared all the hate she had for herself and for what she was into him, turning quickly to stop herself from being so foolish. She couldn't come out of this hating herself even more, no. She wouldn't attempt to hurt him.

"I don't hate you for what you are. I'm upset for the magnitude of the lie, Rye." His fingers reached out when he spoke her nickname, running over her shoulder softly before dropping down to her hand. He interlaced their fingers, turning her around and pulling her into an abrupt hug. She couldn't register what was happening until her tears were free falling and her body was collapsing. The warmth of Embry was a lull for her emotions as she cried out all of her previous thoughts. He kept silent and strong as she squeezed out the last tear, pulling away from him and frowning at the mess she had become. He only chuckled at her with ease that had not been there a minute ago and whipped away the drops from her cheeks.

"I'm still waiting for you to call me a bad name... don't think I don't know the game." He raised a brow at her in confusion, thumbing over the last of her tears and whipping them off on his jeans. "I don't tell people what I am because frankly they're hard-pressed to understand. They either call me fowl names or ignore me entirely."

"Well, I've dug myself in this deep, I don't have an ounce of hate for you are inside me." Embry sighed, walking over and sinking back down on the log. Railey followed him, collapsing next to him and leaning on his side for warmth and support. "So, what exactly are you mixed with?"

"I don't know. It's so stupid not to know, you know what I mean? I feel like I should have been privy to that important information but I can't seem to wiggle it out of my father. My mother is something of a mystery to me. I only knew of her when I was younger and the memories seem to vanish each year."

"I suppose I can relate, in a way. However, I'm on the horrible other end of the predicament. Sometimes you just can't tell someone the truth until they find out themselves. Like when me and Quil became shifters. Jacob was one of the last of our friend group to join us and he was detested with our adjustment until he finally understood. It was hard being away from him like that but it worked it's self out when he was granted the knowledge to know what was happening." Railey scrunched up her face in anguish.

"I just wish I had known her better, or at least be able to remember what I did know about her. I don't even know how she died, just that she did. My father is so passive aggressive when it comes to this. I can't stand how he shoulders all the information and doesn't even think of sharing it."

"Sounds like a rogue shifter to me if there ever was one." Railey smiled at his comment, thinking over her father's situation in her head. He was strong, he was always strong in her eyes. He built walls where they needed to be and he stopped himself from outwardly grieving for the sake of her sanity; and she thanked him for it. But she was of age now, and properly so; he could stop trying to hide so much. "So what exactly did you inherit from your pops?"

"Speed, uncombable hair, my nose, and my spunky attitude?"

"You mean to say I've been carrying your ass around when you can run just the same as me?"

"I just figured you'd love being a chauffeur of sorts? Besides, I didn't want anyone to know!" Embry shifted slightly to give her a small nudge in the side. She smacked his arm in return, snuggling into his warmth. "I didn't inherit the ability to be a heater; which I'm thankful for most of the time, but sad about as of recent. It's so cold here."

"I suppose it's good you know me then. I produce enough heat for the both of us."

"You produce enough heat for all of Forks and La Push, who you kidding?" She picked herself up off his side, standing up and stretching out. She popped her back, wiggling her fingers in the air and dropped her head back in solace. She stared up at the night sky that was quickly approaching, the stars and moon blinking in the distance. The sun was on its last leg, sinking into the horizon only to find it's self once again among the living in a few hours.

"Come on, you've run off long enough for the day. I don't want your dad too upset." Embry took her arm and directed her towards her home. She smiled, allowing him to continue his facade of actually needing to assist her. She could easily shift and see the world as he did in his wolf form but it seemed essential to permit him to be there for her. They broke the tree line with hopes of her father being asleep, but there was no such luck. Billy's truck was still in the driveway, his chair rolling down onto the ground as they approached the house. Railey clung to Embry's arm for solace as she watched her father say goodnight to Billy. She ignored the second man's eyes, refusing to look upon his face now that he knew everything about her and she still lacked information.

The silence filled in after the truck sped off, leaving the breath of Embry and Railey resonating through the tree's. Railey marveled in her father's ability to be so quiet.

"Sir I just want you to know that I-"

"Inside Railey. Goodnight Embry." Embry faltered, looking to Railey with a rare sad smile, leaning in to leave a kiss on her forehead. She was momentarily shocked by this form of affection, staring wide eyed at him as he smiled impishly, moving back into the tree's. She sucked up her attitude and her want to run away, stepping into the house and taking a seat in her father's study, where he would no doubt want to lecture her.

She watched as his figure moved across from her, so tall and limber. He sank into the couch and studied her with a demeanor that was not angry nor happy. He was on middle grounds and she wasn't sure how to react to it.

"I met your mother forty years ago in London. I was with my pack at the time, she was a visitor to the country. We fell in love at first sight, obviously my imprint being a shock to all my brothers. They protested its existence, refuting it and simply wanting me to ignore it. But it's just not that simple." He sighed, shaking his head, eyes bouncing around the room before returning to her. "Much like Embry is with you, I was attached to her almost – "

"Embry, what?"

"You'll notice it in time, but for now back to what I was saying. Your mother was a life line for me. She was, is... my everything. When we had you I was the happiest man alive, my pack though... they couldn't understand it. They left me the night of your birth, left their home to run far away. I didn't become a rogue by choice."

"No, that's my fault."

"I wouldn't have it any other way Railey. So sure, if you want to push blame in a direction I suppose you could say if was your fault, but there is nothing wrong about the situation. If I could go back and choose to not have you I wouldn't."

Railey had to look away, her eyes watering.

"You're my baby girl." He cleared his throat. "Your mother became ill after your birth. I tried to save her, I tried to take her to a specialist in Russia, but nothing worked. She passed away a year after your birthday."

"Ok. So my mother was a human then?"

"No. Far from it." He sighed, running his hands through his hair. She watched him nibble on his lips, his head shaking slightly in his hold before he rose up and smiled sadly at her. "Your mother was an ancient being. Her kind are so rare they label them as extinct. Before there was this eartheral, docile version of the vampire, there were the ancients, and before them..." He swallowed. "Before them were the right hands of the devil himself, a being so fierce, so far from range there is no title. She was one of those. Her father was a demon, her birth... her birth was from the ground, not the womb."

"My mother was a demon?"

"A very powerful one." His eyes bounced around the room once again, hands shaking. "I loved her so deeply, but her lineage was that of noble blood. What was I supposed to do? I held on as long as I could, and I still love her, I still..." The sob wracked through his body and Railey didn't know what to do. Her father was strength; her father was her hero. Her father did not cry. "Her death was the end of my soul Railey. I couldn't return to a pack; I couldn't return to normalcy."


	6. Chapter 6

Railey carefully brushed through her long hair with the blue diamond brush her mother had passed down to her. She sized herself up in the mirror, watching as her fingers eased their way through the newly brushed tendrils. _Her mother's hair._

A week ago her life had changed. She said goodnight to Embry and stepped into her father's study to have everything flipped upside down. It wasn't making much sense anymore and all the shit she had been worried about previously seemed pointless. Like the pile of homework on her bed just waiting to be turned in, the shifts at the grocery she hadn't bothered to show up for. She couldn't fathom how her world worked, let alone how calculus did.

 _Demon._

The word held so much power in her mind. Her mother had been a demon. A noble lineage demon that came before vampires, that came before all beings. Railey couldn't fathom what this meant for her. She was no longer just a mutt, she knew what her breeding was, she knew what she obtained from her father and what she had obtained from her mother. Her puzzle was no longer broken and it frightened her. Her entire life had been built on the shattered breakings of herself, and now it was all mended.

She inspected herself in the mirror some more, leaning in and looking at her teeth. She knew inside it was childish, that if she possessed fangs or a split tongue she would have noticed earlier in life, but it never hurt to check. What exactly did a demon look like though? The only look she knew was that from human folklore, and their example of a vampire and shapeshifter was entirely off, so maybe so was a demon. She signed, leaning back from the mirror, watching her phased self stand boldly in the middle of the room.

Her eyes were from her mother. Blood red. She had noted a long time ago this difference, as her father kept his beautiful steal gray eyes. She had never thought to ask though, as the freedom of liberation was her only focus when running wild. The other slight changes to her features were now popping out, and maybe that was because she had never really studied herself before. Her skin looked almost like marble, her eyelids grew darker in tone, her face took on a more goddess feel and her body seemed to emit a steady glow. She sighed, noting all the beautiful attributes she had received from her mother, shifting back into plain Railey to brush out more kinks in her hair.

As she turned to access her room, her eyes met Embry's in a dead stare. Her hand stopped working with the brush, her fingers still lingering as she stared at him startled. The last time she had spoken to him in privacy was four hours after her father told her everything. She had called him and insisted he not show up at her window, and in barter she told him everything she had been informed. He took it well.

"So that's what you look like then." He stepped forward slowly, his figure seemingly so large in her room. He looked big everywhere except the woods though. His eyes weren't upset, weren't sickened, just... Embry. She brushed out her hair for a second longer before putting her brush on the counter and turning to look at him.

"Yes, it's just... lovely." Embry just stared at her, not taking the cue to laugh at her self-pitying joke. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling suddenly uncomfortable under his stare as he continued to look at her.

"Show me, again, please." She was lost for words at his request. She waited for him to make a joke or show some sign of hysteria but nothing came. With reason out the window she nodded, closing her eyes and allowing the shift back into place. She kept her eyes closed though, realizing after staring in the mirror that her eyes were horrific. No one in their right mind would want to gaze into those. But this was Embry right, why did it matter?

She could feel him moving closer, his body heat wrapping around her. She felt a shiver shoot through her but she suppressed it quickly, reminding herself that this was Embry and that he meant her no harm. His fingers brushed over her cheek, feather soft. She leaned into his warmth, reminded of the feeling from earlier in the week, the spasm of her muscles, the rush of adrenaline in the pit of her stomach. He made her body tremble, his touch made the air harder to pull into her lungs.

Her eyes slowly opened, and there he was, an impish smile on his stern face. He was a mere inch away, his nose brushing hers as he ran a finger over her jaw line slowly. She took a shuttered breath in, realizing his other hand had migrated to her waist. His fingers tickled over the exposed flesh and the moan came out before she could stop it.

"Railey, I need to tell you something."

She slammed her eyes shot, lost in the feeling of his fingers on her skin. "hmmm...?"

"It's important, very important. I've been keeping a secret from you like you were me and I need to come clean."

All she could do was nod as his hand circled around behind her back and slid under the fabric of her shirt. Everything inside her was on fire, her breasts pushing against his chest, and she knew he could feel her. She wanted him too.

"RAILEY!" Her father's voice seemed to shake the walls.

The air in her lungs tumbled out as Embry's hold on her went from soft to strong and protective. She shifted back into the normal creature that she was and felt herself shaking slightly in his arms.

"What?!" She could hear her father's footsteps on the stairs now and she turned back to Embry quickly, pushing him towards the window. His grin wasn't helping, her fear magnified as her father jiggled her bedroom handle.

"Why is this locked?"

"I'm changing." She shooed Embry out, and he chuckled softly, leaning in quickly to plant a kiss on her forehead before jumping out the window. She watched his human body drop and his wolf body run off, the air in her room suddenly growing colder. She quickly moved to the door and unlocked it, allowing her father in. She hoped the flush on her cheeks had vanished as the man examined her room.

"Smells different in here."

"What do you want bloodhound?" She shifted and crossed her arms, watching as her father took a few steps in and mimicked her posture.

"I'm going to be leaving for the weekend tomorrow. I'll be back on Tuesday, and I trust you to remain in this house and go to school this following Monday without my constant guidance?"

"Do I get the keys to the jeep back?"

"Yes." He scanned the room, eyes lingering on the closet. She knew he was using his extra senses to hear heartbeats, smell other blood. "I'll debate taking them back when I return. If I get wind of you being around town when I get back, you know what will happen."

"A lecture of great proportion. Yes dad, I know."

He rolled his eyes at her, and she chuckled, ruffling his sandy gray hair. It took them a minute, but they hugged. He lingered, sniffing her hair, before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I can smell the boy."

"I don't know what you mean."

* * *

She waved as her father drove off, his truck bouncing on the gravel road. The last of summer was clinging on, and the rain was coming in quickly. The air was thick with the future storm, and Railey hurried herself in as the dark clouds drove over her home.

The house was silent. She piddled in the kitchen, putting away the dishes on the drying wrack, putting away the morning cereal. She fiddled with the newspaper on the table before throwing it away and heading upstairs. Her feet carried her past her father's room and into hers, where a rather large male sat waiting on the foot of her bed. She would have been surprised if she hadn't of smelled him on the way up.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"It's not like I need schooling to figure out my life's calling."

"Touché." She took a seat beside Embry, fiddling with her fingers, staring deeply into the floor.

"So I see the pops left."

"For the weekend."

"Have any plans?"

"Can't leave the house."

"There's a Washington storm coming, you won't want to leave all weekend anyhow." He stretched out his back and yawned before laying back on her bed. They sat in silence for what felt like centuries. Her heart was hammering a mile a minute in her chest as her brain tried to process what had happened last night. And Embry was acting like it was nothing. "Where's your head?"

"Right here."

"No it's not." He sat up, this time much closer. His arm was behind her, hand sinking into the mattress just on her other side, his heat wrapping around her quickly. "What's wrong Rye?"

"It's... it's stupid really." She sighed, glancing over at him, making sure he wasn't laughing at all of this. His face was nothing but concern, eyebrows knitted together, lips stern. "Are we... are we friends?"

"Yes, of course."

"Ok. I know that, what I mean is... lately, it's just that..." Before she could continue to stutter out her confusion Embry leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers lightly. His warm arm enveloped her and she found her body pressed tightly to his. Her heart rate exploded, her lips now trapped between her teeth as Embry let out a small groan. "Yeah... I thought as much."

"I have to tell you something. I've needed to tell you something for a long time now, I just... I don't want you mad at me."

"I couldn't be mad at you Em."

"We'll see." He let out a small chuckle, reaching up with his free hand to push her hair back behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her neck, tickling along the skin at her collarbone. "Shapeshifters go through this thing in their lives, where they find what humans call a soulmate. It's not necessarily romantic, it can be simply plutonic, but the person that they have chosen for them becomes a key item in their life. They watch over them, nurture them, help them out, make sure they're safe. The shapeshifter just isn't complete without this person."

He let out a sigh, his eyes closing as he swallowed. Railey was shaking at this point, her hands awkwardly sitting on her lap, her eyes watching his closed eyelids. "Railey, you're that person to me."

She had known this was coming, inside her head, deep inside her brain, she had pieced this together a long time ago. With his constant affection, need to be there always, her father's words, all of it. She had known; but the impact was still shocking. She didn't mean to grow rigid, but she did. Embry felt it instantly, his hold on her lessening as he put distance between them. He wouldn't look her in the eye, his hands twisting together in his lap as he waited for her to speak.

"Ok."

"Ok?" He finally looked up, a look of hurt and strain on his face. "Just ok?" It wasn't enough, and she knew that. He wanted the answers to the world, wanted to know what this all meant. But she couldn't process that quickly.

"You'll have to give me time to think Embry, I'm sorry. I can't just... I mean, I just found out about my mom and I... I just need time is all."

"I'll leave then, give you-"

"No please." She reached out, taking his hand as he rose and tried to move towards the window. He didn't look back as she laced their fingers and dragged him back. "Don't leave me, ok?"

"Ok."


End file.
